This disclosure relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for cooling a gas turbine engine component.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section.
The turbine section includes components such as turbine vanes and blade outer air seals that are subjected to high temperatures during engine operation. To cool such components, internal baffle inserts have been used to create impingement plates or thin passages for cooling a hotter outer wall (e.g., within an airfoil). A plenum of air exists inside the baffle, which typically has small holes that align with the surface to be cooled. The cooling air passes from the plenum through the small holes, impinging on the hot surface, generating increased heat transfer. The baffle holes have been perpendicular to the hot surface being cooled.